Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

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There is something so delicious about a pasta dish the perfect balance of lemon and garlic. It uses such bright flavors.

We often rotate this pasta dish alongside this Mediterranean Pasta, Lemon Ricotta Pasta and this Lemon Basil White Bean Pasta.

This Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta is so light, but filling and bursting with citrusy fresh flavor.  If you like shrimp recipes, especially shrimp scampi, you will love this easy pasta dish.  I like to make this dish for special days like Valentine’s Day, Christmas or New Years Eve. It also works as the perfect weeknight meal.

When I serve this dish I like to serve a big green salad like this Arugula Salad, white wine and crusty bread. 

My kids love shrimp and this is one of their favorite pasta dishes that I make. 

Why You Will Love this Recipe:

Here are more reasons it’s a must-try dish:

• Easy to Make: This pasta dish is so easy to make and comes together in 15 minutes. It involves a few easy steps to an elegant, flavorful meal.  
• Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses fresh shrimp along with fresh lemon, white wine and fresh herbs paired with pasta. Simple, fresh ingredients make this the perfect meal! 
• Perfect Flavor Combination: The flavors of shrimp with the lemon garlic butter sauce are so perfect when paired together. The sweet and savory flavors really compliment each other. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s an overview of the simple ingredients we’re using. Jump to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and printable instructions. 

• Pasta – I used linguine, but any pasta shape works.
• Shrimp – Peeled and deveined; tails on add flavor but are optional.
• Lemon – Add zest and juice of ½ lemon for citrusy flavor.
• Wine – Use a drinkable white wine like Pinot Grigio for the sauce.
• Herbs – Stir in fresh parsley before serving to brighten the dish.
• Seasoning – Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of basil if needed.

How do you Make Lemon Shrimp Pasta

Step 1: Cook the Pasta: Cook linguine according to instructions on the packaging in a large pot of water. Save some of the pasta water in case you want to thin out the sauce at the end. 

Step 2: Make the Butter Sauce: While the pasta cooks heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic for 2 minutes. Add the onion, a sprinkle of salt and continue to sauté for 2 more minutes until the onion is soft.

Step 3: Cook the Shrimp: Add the shrimp and a dash of salt and pepper and cook until the shrimp turns pink, about 4-6 minutes.

Step 4: Finish the Sauce: Add the white wine and fresh lemon juice and cook for 2 more minutes.

Step 5: Finish the Dish: In a large mixing bowl add the pasta, shrimp mixture and salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine. Add the lemon zest and the freshly parsley and stir again. Serve on plates with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and lemon slices.

Ways to Modify this Lemon Shrimp Pasta

• Pasta – I’ve used linguine but you can swap it for any other pasta noodle, try spaghetti, fettuccine, angel hair pasta or tagliatelle. Try to make sure you cook the pasta to al dente pasta.
• Zoodles – For a great low carb option, swap the linguine for zoodles (zucchini noodles) or any other vegetable noodle.
• Cream – Make creamy lemon shrimp pasta by stirring some heavy cream or half and half through the butter sauce.
• Heat – If you enjoy heat, add some red pepper flakes, or a small amount of finely chopped habanero pepper.
• Vegetables –Try adding vegetables like zucchini, tomatoes, asparagus or green beans. 
• Protein – You can swap the shrimp for a different protein for chicken, steak, salmon or scallops.

What to Pair with Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

• I like serving potatoes with our meals throughout the week. Some of my favorites are these Gouda Smashed Potatoes, Spicy Lebanese Potatoes or these Lemon Cilantro Potatoes. 
• Adding a salad to your meals is a nice way to get those vegetables and greens in. A few of the ones I serve on repeat are this Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing or this Mediterranean Bean Salad.
• Simple side dishes work nicely with this shrimp dish. A few I make are this Simple Roasted Broccoli, Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt Tahini Sauce or these Za’atar Roasted Carrots. 

Storage Tips

Store the leftover pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat you can either quickly sauté in a skillet or microwave it.

You might want to add a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh herbs to freshen the dish back up.